When Loneliness Leads You Higher

Some of my greatest seasons of growth were also some of my loneliest.

There’s a certain ache that comes when God calls you up higher. It often means walking roads that others can’t—or won’t—travel with you. Not because they’re unworthy or unwilling, but because the assignment is uniquely yours. The elevation requires separation.

It’s in those wilderness seasons that I learned to hear His voice more clearly. The stillness didn’t mean God was absent. It meant He was inviting me into intentional listening. But can I be honest? The quieter my surroundings became, the louder my thoughts screamed. The silence outside made the noise inside unbearable at times.

That’s why the lonely places demand discipline. They stretch our spiritual ears and test our willingness to listen for a whisper rather than chase after a shout. And in that quiet? That’s where intimacy is formed.

If you find yourself there today—lonely, questioning, even grieving—know this: you’re not being punished. You’re being prepared.

Purpose in your heart to tune out the loud and intrusive thoughts by weaponizing the Word of God.

Cast down imaginations.

Take captive every thought.

Set your mind on things above.

Think on what is true, noble, and pure.

Rest in the unshakable truth: when the Lord gives and when He takes away, it is always with a purpose for a latter-day blessing. Nothing is wasted. Not your tears, not your questions, not your aching silence.

A time of loss and loneliness, surrendered to the Shepherd, leads to a season of increase and intimacy. He is walking with you through the shadowy places, slaying dragons in the darkness you never even knew were there.

So keep climbing, sis.

When the applause from this world fades, listen for the roar of heaven. Because we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. The further we walk in obedience—stepping up and sometimes away—the closer we draw to those heavenly voices that echo the Father’s joy.

Stay the course.

The higher place is worth the lonely road.

Love,

Holly